


The Silent Songbird

by Bird_Of_Scarlet



Category: Escape the Night (Web Series), Original Work
Genre: Corruption, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 18:22:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16624079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bird_Of_Scarlet/pseuds/Bird_Of_Scarlet
Summary: My love... Your gift has arrived.





	The Silent Songbird

**My love, I've brought you something.**

She didn't want to know what it was. He'd already gone too far.

**Dearest, I've gotten you a wedding gift. A wonderful wedding gift for my beautiful bride-to-be.**

She picked herself up, the spirit covering her eyes as she walked.

"Where are we going?"

**You will see darling.**

After who knows how long, he uncovered her eyes.

" _What the fuck_?"

An oversized iron-barred cage stood before her. A cold, black prison for the poor creature inside it.

There was something inside it.

She sprinted forwards, her hands grasping at the bar as the creature focused through tear-filled eyes.

"What have you done?"

**This is my gift to you, precious, take a look...**

She peered through the bars, taking in the sight before her.

The cage was twice her height, with a short pole stemming across the middle, hung like a swing from the ceiling. Another stick rose from the bottom, with a smaller cage on top, a single magpie residing inside it. Though that was hardly anything surprising compared to the main feature inside.

Hunched upon the main bar was something the size of a human, or at least a girl. It was dressed all in black; a baggy hoodie and some leggings. Talon like boots covered its swinging feet, bearing their own sharp heel. with jet-black, feathered wings protruding from its back, ragged at the edges, like they'd been roughly clipped. It's hands seemed bound to the bars of the swing, held at either side in iron shackles, concealed from the light.

She almost missed the tiny flower poking out of the creatures pocket. Small, the colour of snow, with seven petals and a sweet scent... What was it?

Though the most shocking thing, upon her eyes fully scanning the thing, was at the top: a leather, beak-like mask covered its entire face. It reminded her of the ones worn by doctors during the black plague. Every now and then it's head twitched, snapping from side to side, as if it couldn't see anything... or hear... or _speak_.

**I've brought you a songbird, my lovely. Sadly though, it seems to be faulty. It neither sings nor talks, just sits there, aimlessly swinging.**

"That's cruel! Take off the mask, let it talk!"

**Sadly I cannot do that deary, though I _can_ give it a way to communicate, if you so please.**

"Yes!"

She was pulled back from the cage, and a screen appeared, strapped to the bars.

It sparked to life as the creature began to let out clicking noises, garbled and distorted, like cries for help.

"What... Let it free!"

_There is no need._

She stood in shook as the text appeared on the screen, looking up to see the creature leaning every so slightly towards her, tilting its head in interest.

_I adore my new home, isn't it wonderful? Blissful isolation._

It appeared to click and coo, wiggling it's feet in what seemed like a giddy manor, it's head still twitching.

_I love my cage oh yes I do. All alone oh yes I am._

"Who are you?"

_One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, but there's only one left, and the blood's run cold._

"One for... the magpie?"

_Yes, yes, yes!_

It tapped the heels of its feet together in excitement.

"What about the magpie?"

_Look at it! All on its own... Don't you ever wonder how far you can push it until it breaks? Shatters into millions of little pieces, dust blown away in the wind!_

"And then you put it... back together?"

_Oh no, no, no! We move onto the next one! More shattered hearts! Wonderful! Wonderful!_

Her blood froze, her mind wandering to something she'd read a while ago... One of the first...

Wait.

"Bird? Birdy? Bird of Scarlet?"

Its head snapped down to her, seemingly peering into her being through the dark glass covering its eyes.

_Bird I am, of Scarlet I am not. Bird of Darkness! Bird of Blood! Bird of Death! Ashen dust of a phoenix never to rise again! That is what I am, oh yes I am, yes, yes I am!_

It- she? Bird we back to clicking, writhing under its shackles. At this point she couldn't tell whether the girl was terrified or just completely out of her mind.

"Birdy you need to fight it!"

**I think it's time we muzzle it.**

"No!"

_I love my prison here yes I do! I do, I do, I do!_

"Leave her alone!"

**My queen, this one's only the first. She was by _far_ the easiest to corrupt, fragile, with a dark side just waiting _, begging_ to be captured. It was quite curious, fighting for both sides, an odd duality may I say.**

"Fuck, Birdy snap out of it! Uh, shit! Shipping! Afterlife Adventures! _Roila_!"

At this last word Bird's head slowly tilted down, almost making her cower in fear.

_What is that?_

"Your favourite ship? I mean I guess? Roi and Teala. You love to write about it because it's cute and sweet and that good shit, crap Birdy come on!"

_Companionship..?_

"Yes!"

Bird paused, before it snapped its head in what seemed to be _disgust._

_Eugh! How horrible! Everyone should be alone, just like me, yes, yes, yes siree! Pain, pain and pain, no comfort for anyone! If you've got issues, deal with them yourself! You can't rely on others! Let the broken stay broken! Just like me! Yes, yes, yes siree!_

Now she knows it.

Birdy's lost.

No hope left apart from a miracle... But even if there's Jas, so many others seem to already be at least partly corrupted...

One down... But how many to go?

**Author's Note:**

> Someone please...
> 
> Please...
> 
> Jasmine...
> 
> Ja
> 
> ...
> 
>  
> 
> _:)_


End file.
